𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗳𝗲

03. Proposals

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𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧

With long curly hair cascading down her back,
Her big lotus brown eyes, a shining track.

Bright brown skin, smooth and radiant,
Her red lips, so captivating and resplendent.

Her grace was elegant, her movements divine,
Her voice like melodies, like sweet wine.
Her smile was a treasure, a gem to behold,
Her laughter like a blessing, pure and bold.

Her walk was majestic, regal and grand,
Her obedience, a token of her command.
Adorned in shining jewelry, glimmering and bright,
Her royal garments, luxurious and white.

A beloved princess, revered by all,
She stood tall and proud, standing so tall.
The princess of Saurabha, born with beauty rare,
Her presence a vision, beyond compare.

Menaka, the apsara, in human form,
Walking the earth, radiant and warm.
Her beauty transcendent, her aura divine,
In the land of Saurabha, she did shine.

She can capture hearts with one glance,
Her beauty, a blessing, a sublime trance.
In every step, she exuded grace,
A vision of beauty in every place.

The princess of Saurabha, a sight divine,
In her presence, all felt the love shine.
Her beauty, a gift from the heavens above,
A true embodiment of beauty and love.

So gaze upon her, in awe and in wonder,
The princess of Saurabha, a beauty to ponder.
In her presence, all felt a sense of bliss,
For the beauty of the lady was impossible to miss.

In the land of Saurabha, she did reign,
A princess of beauty, a sight to feign.
So let us celebrate her, in song and in cheer,
For the beauty of the lady is truly sincere.

The atmosphere was filled with anticipation as the poet began to sing, his words weaving a tapestry of vivid descriptions that left everyone spellbound.

Ministers drifted into dreams of the princess, their eyes filled with desire. The maids were captivated by her beauty, stirring both awe and envy among them.

In the court, a sense of awe washed over Chandralekha as she observed the scene.

Her honey-colored eyes sparkled with delight, accompanied by a radiant smile on her fair face.

Maharani, lost in her thoughts, remained contemplative.

Suddenly, Yuvraj Aditya stood up, prompting everyone to rise in respect. Approaching the poet, Aditya applauded him, while servants stepped forward, bearing a silver plate overflowing with gold.

"Your narration, talent, and description were truly magnificent, Ramachandra," Yuvraj Aditya praised.

"I could never match your immense talent. Here, please accept this gift from Udaipur." With that, he presented the gold to the poet, who joined his hands together in gratitude.

However, Yuvraj caught his hands and humbly stated, "You are elder than me, I should be the one greeting you." Both men exchanged a respectful gesture.

Meanwhile, the Princess of Ratnagiri found herself falling in love with her husband all over again. Her eyes radiated love towards him.

Maharani, caught up in the moment, suddenly spoke, "What was her name again?"

The poet replied, "Menaka, the princess of Saurabha, Maharani."

"Menaka," Maharani mumbled, her voice laced with curiosity.

The princess, finding solace, roamed freely in the garden, her sanctuary. Like a butterfly, she danced without boundaries. Geetha, the maid, smiled fondly at the princess's childlike antics. After all, she was just sixteen, full of youthful exuberance.

In a different setting, the messenger delivered a letter from Swarnabhumi Maharaj.

The king sighed and took the letter, which contained yet another proposal for Menaka's hand in marriage.

"She is causing nothing but problems for Saurabha," Prabhavati muttered in frustration. The old king defended his daughter, stating,

"Prabha, it's not her fault." Vikram, nodded in agreement.

However, Advik, disagreed and claimed  “ father, Menaka's presence from that gathering led to the poet's famous poem about her beauty spreading throughout the subcontinent.”

Vikram found this reasoning illogical and questioned “Does that makes any sense brother?.

Prabhavati angrily proclaimed “Advik, your elder brother is correct, Menaka indeed is the root of the problem”

The king intervened and firmly declared, "Enough, Prabhavati! I will not tolerate any complaints against my daughter."

He then instructed the messenger to send a letter declining the marriage proposal, stating that Menaka was too young for such arrangements. With that, the king left, leaving Prabhavati furious.

In Menaka's chamber, she gazed at a small statue of the archer Arjuna, made of pure gold, a gift from her grandfather.

Since childhood, Menaka had developed an innocent infatuation with the statue. “Although many princes and kings sought her hand in marriage, princess's heart belongs to this archer” A maid teased Menaka about her unusual preference.

Menaka smiled and announced playfully that “My heart truly belongs to this brave archer”

Just then, Charumathi, Menaka's mother, entered the room, causing the maids to tremble in fear.

Menaka, on the other hand, stood up joyfully and sought her mother's blessing.

Charumathi smiled warmly at her daughter and remarked, "How beautiful you are, my dear, just like an angel."

Menaka beamed at the compliment, and Charumathi sat on the bed, engaging in loving conversation.

“Your mother had a bad dream about you Raakumari”Geetha, shared.

Menaka looked at her mother and reassured “nothing can happen to me ma. ”Charumathi hugged Menaka lovingly.

In Udaipur, Maharani was engrossed in writing a letter. A maid questioned whether she should first discuss matters with Yuvraj, to which Maharani responded with a stern glare, stating, "No need. My son will accept; he has to, for Udaipur."

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Yo the book has reached 1k reads wow, that was unexpected.

But thank you, I'll try to give regular updates :)

Goodbye for now!